How long does a phinisi take to build?

A 35 metre vessel typically runs 18 to 24 months. Up to a year of that is drying timber, which happens before construction starts. Smaller hulls finish sooner.

What does a custom phinisi cost?

Price follows length, layout, materials and finish, so there is no useful list price. You get an itemised proposal within 24 hours of telling us what you want.

What timber do you build in?

Ironwood for the hull, teak for decking and bitti for framing, sourced mainly from Kalimantan. All three are chosen for strength and seaworthiness rather than cost.

Can I bring my own design?

Yes. We translate your drawings into 3D renderings and technical plans so nothing is lost between your designer and the master builders.

How does payment work?

A down payment, then scheduled instalments tied to named construction milestones. You pay against progress you can see.

Can I follow the build from abroad?

You get regular progress reports, photo and video updates, and scheduled video calls with English speaking project managers.

Is the vessel certified and registered?

We verify structure against GL standards and stability against IMO standards, and assist with Indonesian registration and export documentation.

Do you deliver outside Indonesia?

Yes. Survey, flag, export papers and delivery are handled end to end. We have delivered to more than forty countries.

A phinisi hull under construction at the Tana Beru shipyard

Custom phinisi construction

Commission a traditional phinisi from Ara master builders

Built by hand in Tana Beru and Batu Licin. Delivered worldwide.

Request a Proposal Chat on WhatsApp

Years combined expertise: 15+
Countries served: 40+
Custom built commissions: 100%
Quote turnaround: 24h

A shipwright shaping a timber by hand inside the yard

Master Shipwright

Ara Bulukumba

The yard behind the hull

We build custom luxury phinisi by hand, from the first sketch through to sea trials.

Our yards in Tana Beru, South Sulawesi and Batu Licin, Kalimantan put centuries of Bugis and Konjo shipbuilding behind contemporary design.

You deal directly with the shipwright who builds the boat. No agents, no mark up.

Why owners work with us

Four things buyers tell us they could not get anywhere else.

Direct source, no middlemen
You commission the yard that lays the keel, not a broker who subcontracts it.
Transparent pricing
An itemised proposal, priced line by line, before anything is cut.
Verified quality
Documented timber, staged inspections against GL and IMO standards, sea trials before handover.
Worldwide delivery
Registration, survey, export papers and delivery to more than forty countries.

What we build

Vessel types

The four hulls we build most. Every one is drawn to your brief.

Teak sundeck and saloon of a private charter phinisi

Private use

Family charter

Cabin layouts, saloon and deck spaces built around one family.

Expedition

Dive liveaboard

Compressor room, tank racks and a dive deck engineered for long expeditions.

The bow of a finished phinisi showing carved detail and nameboard

Commercial

Tourist and day boat

High capacity safari hulls for operators running daily departures.

A cabin opening onto a private deck with a jacuzzi

Couples and small groups

Catamaran style

Twin hull stability and deck width for couples and small groups.

What we offer

Six ways owners work with the yard.

Technical drawings of a phinisi laid out on a drafting table

Cost per metre

What a phinisi costs per metre of deck, broken down.

A hull under construction inside the building shed

Charter boat construction

Commercial hulls built to operator specification.

Dividers and technical drawings on a drafting table

Financing and investment

Payment structures and investment routes for a build.

Two phinisi hulls under construction on the slipway

Liveaboard builder

Custom dive and expedition liveaboards.

Shipwrights working timber beside a hull

Boat price guide

Current construction costs and pricing in Indonesia.

Workshop with shipwrights shaping timber

Refit and modernisation

Refit, renovation and re-engining of an existing phinisi.

How it works

Four stages from first message to delivered vessel.

A 35 metre hull typically takes 18 to 24 months, with up to a year of that spent drying timber. Smaller vessels finish sooner. Exact dates go in your proposal.

01
Enquire
Send your requirements by WhatsApp or the form. Our master shipwright replies personally.
02
Proposal
Receive a transparent, itemised proposal with clear terms and timelines.
03
Confirm
Approve, arrange secure payment, and we begin. Progress updates throughout.
04
Deliver
Fulfilment, documentation and worldwide delivery, handled end to end.

Ready to price your build?

Tell us the length, the layout and roughly when you want to sail. You get an itemised proposal back within 24 hours.

Chat on WhatsApp Or request a proposal

A shipwright planing a hull frame by hand

Timber, and why it matters

A phinisi is only as good as the wood it is cut from. Ours is sourced and dried before a single frame is raised.

Hull: Ironwood
Decking: Teak
Framing: Bitti
Sourced in: Kalimantan
Drying: Up to 12 months
Standards: GL hull, IMO stability

Where she will sail

The waters our owners run, and the months they run them.

A Komodo dragon on the shoreline at sunset

April to October

Komodo National Park

The busiest charter ground in Indonesia and the shortest run from Labuan Bajo.

December to March

Raja Ampat

The richest reef biodiversity on earth. A liveaboard hull earns its keep here.

September to April

Banda Islands

Long passages, deep history, and very few other boats.

October to April

Triton Bay

Whale sharks over the bagan platforms, and a reef holding more than a thousand fish species.

A village on the Alor coast at sunset with a boat at anchor

April to November

Flores and Alor

Volcanic coastline and strong currents, on the way east from Komodo.

Inside the yard

Frames, planking and fit out, photographed as the work happens.

Before you commission

Questions buyers ask first

Not covered here? Send the question on WhatsApp and you will get a straight answer, not a brochure.

Chat on WhatsApp

Come and see the yard

Both yards are working shipyards, not showrooms. Tell us when you are coming and someone will walk you through whatever is on the slipway.

Tana Beru, South Sulawesi The main yard. Hull construction and fit out.
Batu Licin, Kalimantan Timber sourcing, drying and framing.

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Request a build proposal

Tell us what you want to build. You get an itemised proposal back within 24 hours.